Press Release: Faiyum discoveries

Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni announced today that an Egyptian mission has discovered that an area to the north of Lake Qarun in the Faiyum region is rich in archaeological and paleontological remains dating back as far as 40 million years. Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), said that the 10- kilometer-wide area is currently being explored to prevent valuable information from being lost to planned touristic development in the area.

Following a preliminary survey that began about a year ago, full-scale excavations have been underway since March 10, 2009. SCA archaeologists have found many artifacts in the area dating to the prehistoric period, including arrowheads and other finely crafted stone artifacts of Mousterian, Levallois, and Aterian type. They have also uncovered pottery and stone beads dating to the same era, along with the remains of shelters used by prehistoric hunters. Archaeological remains from later periods are also present in the area. A cemetery that most probably dates to the Greco-Roman period has yielded coins and other small artifacts. The team has explored a tomb in this cemetery consisting of a deep shaft ending in two chambers, but further excavation is hampered by constantly shifting sands. In addition to the prehistoric and Greco-Roman remains found in the area, the archaeologists have discovered pottery, pipes, coins, and glassware dating to the Fatimid and Mamluk periods. Other finds include medical and cosmetic tools, as well as stone shot used in hunting animals during the Islamic era.

Fossils of whales and other marine life dating back to around 40 million years ago have been found in the area. In addition to cetaceans like those found in the famous Valley of the Whales to the west of the Faiyum, the SCA team has uncovered the remains of sea cows and sawfish. These fossils are the remnants of a time when much of northern Egypt was submerged under an ancient sea.

SCA archaeologist Khaled Saad, who is supervising the excavations under the direction of Zahi Hawass, said that archaeological importance of the area was very great. Hawass added that the excavation was initiated in response to a plan by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism to build hotels and resorts on the northern shore of Lake Qarun. The ongoing SCA excavations will ensure that valuable archaeological evidence is not lost to development, while reinforcing the need to protect all of Egypt’s ancient monuments for the future.